Safety-valve for cans.



' G. W. LARDQ- SAFETY VALVE FOR cANs. 1,280,250 APPLICATION FILEDMAR.2|. 19u. Patented C. 1, 1918- fhtw/neig me Nue/ns psrsns ca.. Momumo.,wnsmm. uw. n. c,

sarn'rvvnnvn FOR sans.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. i, rais.

Application filed March 21, 1917. Serial No. 156,425..

To all whom t may concern: t i

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. LARI), a citizen of the UnitedV States,residing at Arbuckle, in. the county` of MurrayV and State of Oklahoma,have linvented eert-ain newand useful Improvements in SafetyValves forCans, of which the following is a spec'iiication,'reference being had tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to safetyclosures for' oil cans, gasolene cans,and othercontainers of like character designed to contain explosivefluids. i

The general object of the invention is to provlidwmeans for normallyclosing the spout of an oil can and the air inlet opening of an oil can,so as-to prevent spilling of the contents of thecan or container, orignition of the contents.

A 'iurt-her object of the invention is to provide means. whereby thevalve closing the spout of the oil can may be readily opened andheldopenby a pressure of the operators thumb, while the oil is v beingpoured 'therefrom and will close as soon as the pressure is released.

Ai-further object is to provide an iinprovedrineansrfor admitting air tothe interior of thecontainer, `which includes a closure normally held toits seat to prevent the admission of air,Y but whichmay be forced openby the operator and if desired maybe manipulated so `as to hold theclosure open while the Voilis being poured. p

Other'- objects of my invention relate to the details "of constructionand `improvemntsin thearrangement of the parts, as will hereafterappear. A

The invention is -`il lustrated' in the accom-l panyingdrawings, whereinFigure-`1 is4 a fragmentary .vertical sectional view of la can provedvalves;

Fig..2 is alike view VtoFig. 1 but showing the valves open;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 looking upward.; t

Figi 4l is af top plan viewof a portion of the top of the can showingthe housing 22; Fig. 5 is a perspective vliew of the tubular providedwith my im Fig." 6 fis' a; perspective view of I the valve B4'detaChed.Referringl tothe dra-wings, 1t will be seen uthatl have illustrated ainoil can or container *10, such as used ytor containing gasolene,

` countersunk, as A at 21,

explosive fluids, provided with a spout 11. be of any suitable form ordimensions, butpreferably is tapered toward its pouring extremity andextends into the top of the can, or the wall of the can, a distance ofabout g1g ofan inch. Coacting with this spoutand normallyclosing passagetherethrough is a valve comprising a disk 12 of cork, rubber or othersuitable makerosene, and other highly this can being The spout mayterial, but Apreferably cork, which is disposed within a circular holder1.3 forming partof an arm 111,'which extends away from the end of thespout 11 and is pivoted be tween ears 15 attached to or formed as partof the can wall. The cork 12 is highly compressed before it is insertedin the ring 13 and is preferably deeper` than this ring 13, so that theportion ofthe cork`which projects above the ringis not as'tightlycompressed and is compressible by Contact with the butten'd of the spout11.

For the purpose of normally holding the valve closed, I provide a stem16, which extends through the ytop of the oil can and is slotted forthepassage of the arm 14; Surrounding the opening through which thisstem passes, and disposed upon the exterior face of the can, is atubular member 17, and

y disposed around the Opening through which thest'en'i 16 passes, andwithinthis tubular member, is a packing`18' of' cork, o'r other suitablemateria-l, which will prevent' the escape ofliquid or vapor through theOpening. Surrounding the lstem 16l and disposed within' the tubularmember 17 is a spring 19 and carried by theupper end of thestem i 16 isa pushbutton or 'cap 20", which is firmly attached" to the stem andwhich is to receive theupper end ofthe spring 19, so'as to `pernuitaslong a spring as possible to be used. The body of the push buttonextends down in'to thetubular member 17, the head of the push" buttonbeing larger than the tubular member.

For thepurpose" of housing the parts and protecting them from damage,preferably provide the housing 22, which has a top wall and side walls.The top wall'at one end is `cut away as at 23 to extend around thespout11 and the side wallsengage with'theispout. This'housing maybe madeofone'pieee" of sheetinetal'stamped out in proper forni and braz'ed,soldered,r `or otherwise attached to the top of the can and to the spout11. This housing is formed with an opening 24 and the margin of thisopening 2li is depressed as at 25 so that the edge of the opening islevel with the top of the tube 17. `The push button has its head 20disposed above the top of the housing, but the depression25 is ofsufficient depth so that the push button is at all times disposed belowthe planeof the top plate of the housing and thus is Vat all timesprotected.

It'will be obvious that by depressing the push button 24:, the valvewill be shifted away from the end of the spout 11 against the force ofthe spring 19 and that as soon as the Vpressure is released upon thepush button, the spring 19 will return the parts to their originalposition.

For the purpose of admitting ,air to the can, while the contents arebeing poured out,

Iprovide a cap 26 which is made of sheet metal, and which has ascrew-threaded annular flange 27Y adapted to engage the screwthreadedflange 28 surrounding the linlet opening of the can. This cap isdepressed at its center and has a central opening in which is disposed avertically extending tube 29, the "upper end ,of which is outwardlyflared as at 30. Across the lower end of this tube eXtendsa plate 31,having a central perforation and a plurality of air holes 32 disposedaround the Vcentra-l perforation. Extending through the centralperforation is a stem 33 of a valve 3&1. This stem extends upwardthrough the tubular member 29 and at its upperend s attached to a cap 35constituting a push button, the cap having a marginal flange 36 which isadapted to eX- tend down and around the tube 29, the flared ends of thetube engaging with the side walls of the cap. The inner face of the capis provided with the inwardly projecting lug 37. The tubular member 29`is formed at its upper end with a bayonet slot `38, with which `the lug37 is adapted to coact and adjacent its upper end the tube 29 is alsoformed withv a plurality of perforations 39. Preferably the valve 311 isformed with an outercupshaped fmetallic member attached to the stem` 33`:and a cork filling 40, the valve 34 being ofjsulficient diameter sothat the cork 40 will bearV against the lower face of the plate 31 whenthe valve is raised.

It will be seen that ordinarily the valve 311 will be held against theplate 31 by means of a spring L11, which surrounds the stem 33 andbearsat its lower end against the plate 31l and urges the valve upward.lUnder these circumstances, air cannot pass into the body of the can,butif the valve be pushed down air can pass through the perforations 39 and32 into the can, the fiared'upper end of the tube 29 preventing thelateral flange 36 of the cap 35 from obstructing these perforations 39.If it be desiredto hold the valve open, without the necessity ofexerting manual pressure on the valve, then the cap can. When it isdesired to use the can, vboth valvesare openedin the manner heretofore!`1 described and `the contents pouredout in the usual manner. i lVhen thevalves are closed.)

they will prevent any explosivevapor from` passing out of thecan andhence the danger of igniting the gaseous oontentsof the can, and therebycausing explosion, willbe minimized. It will further be observed. thatboth valves are held to their seats positively by springs and that thecorkfilling or packing of each valve will malte it certaingthat thevalves seat` properly so as not to permit the leakage of explosivegases. Thecap 26 is depressed at its center so that the push button doesnot project above the top of the cap and thus there willbe no danger Vofthe button being accidentally depressed while the can is beingtransported. The same is true in regard to the push button 20, which isdisposed sufficiently below the upper face of the housing 22 as to beheld from acei` dental movement. ,i

It will be seen, of course, that the housing 22 protects thevalvestructure.from damage, due to rough handling of the can, or anydepression of the top and that the valve-LO is also fully protected` bythe housing 29 and' by the recessed or depressed portion ofthecap26..,-Vi` .i While I have illustrated a flat top can, it

is to be understood that this is purelyillus trative and that myconstruction may be applied to a round topcan, just aswell as to j aflat top can.

It will be seenthat my device is -verysim i cans or containers and thatit has many ad- `ple, can be readily applied to allfforms of vantagesover the ordinary spouts andlair f inlets for cans of this character.,While-I have illustrated a particular .form` of my invention, it willbe understood .that `many and having a depressed central portion,.a

tubular member extending through the Vdel pressed portion of the cap, avalve normally closing the opening through the cap, and a buttondisposed over the end of the tubular member and operatively connected tothe valve and normally disposed below the level of the uppermost portionof the cap.

2. An oil can having a top, a cup-shaped member extending through thetop and out-m position, and a button operatively connected to the valveand extending over the top of the cup-shaped member and havingdownwardly extending flanges spaced from the body of the cup-shapedmember by said flared upper portion thereof.

3. An oil can having a top, a Cupshaped member extending through the topand outwardly flared at its upper end and formed with air inletperforations in its side wall and perforations in its bottom, a valvenormally closing said last named lperforations, a spring disposed withinthe cup-shaped member and urging Vthe valve to its closed position, abutton operatively connected to the valve and extending over the top ofthe cupshaped member and having downwardly extending flanges spaced fromthe body of the cup-shaped member by said flared upper portion thereof,and means for looking the button in a. depressed position with the valveopen.

4f. An oil can having a top, a eup-shaped member extending through thetop, a valve controlling passage through said cup-shaped member andhaving` a stem extending upward therethrough, a button mounted on thestem and having a downwardly extending side wall embracing thecup-shaped member, a spring urging the button upward and the valve 'to aclosed position, and a pin extending :inward from the side wall of thebutton, the eupeshaped member having a bayonet slot with which the pinengages.

5. An oil can having an inlet opening, a cap for closing said openingand having a depressed central portion, a eup-shaped member extendingthrough the depressed portion and having its upper end flared andperforated, the bottom of the cup-shaped member being` provided withperforations, a valve having a stem extending upward through the lowerend of the cup-shaped member and having a push button at its upper endand having a flange extending down over the flared portion of theeupshaped member, and a spring disposed Within the member and normallyholding the valve closed.

V6. An oil can having an inlet opening,l a cap for closing said openingand having a depressed central portion, a eup-shaped member extendingthrough the depressed portion and having its upper end flared andperforated, the bottom of the cup-shaped member being provided withperforations, a valve having a stem extending upward through the lowerend of the cup-shaped member and having a push button at its upper endand having a flange extending down over the flared portion of thecupshaped member, and a spring disposed within the cup-shaped member andnormally holding the valve closed, said valve comprising a metallicshield and a compressive packing disposed within the shield and adaptedto be forced against the lower end of the eupshaped member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

GEORGE W. LARD.

Vitnesses f V. C. MicHAEL, M. E. MICHAEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1).(1.

